Locking device for overhead garage door

ABSTRACT

In a motor operated overhead garage door the operator is connected to a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted on the garage door so that the first movement of the operator swings the bellcrank lever to retract a spring pressed locking device for locking the door in closed position. Further movement of the operator lifts the door in a conventional manner.

United States Patent 1 Streeter [54] LOCKING DEVICE FOR OVERHEAD- Jan.9, 1973 Primary Examiner-Kenneth Downey Att0rneyAlexander B. Blair [57]ABSTRACT In a motor operated overhead garage door the operator isconnected to a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted on the garage door sothat the first movement of the operator swings the bell-crank lever toretract a spring pressed locking device for locking the door in closedposition. Further movement of the operator lifts the door in aconventional manner.

1 Claim, 7 Drawing Figures Illl PATENTEDJAN 9l973 3.708.917

sum 1 IF 2 Arm'euzn LOCKING DEVICE FOR OVERHEAD GARAGE DOOR BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates tomotor operated overhead garage doors of the single panel type as well asthe multiple panel type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A motor operated overhead garage door of thesingle panel type or of the multiple hinged panel type actuates thegarage door through a bell-crank pivotally secured to the door so thatthe first movement of the operator pivots the bell-crank. The bell-crankis connected to a spring pressed latch which is retracted by the initialmovement of the operator while swinging the bellcrank after which thegarage door is moved by the operator in a conventional manner.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a spring pressed latchfor motor operated garage doors in which the initial movement of themotor operator releases the latch.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in light.

of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. is a view similar to FIG. I of amodified form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the latch structure;and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the door track showing thekeeper bore for the latch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings indetail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughoutthe several figures the reference numeral 10 indicates generally alocking device for overhead garage doors constructed in accordance withthe invention.

The locking device 10 is illustrated as applied to an overhead garagedoor structure indicated generally at 11 which includes a garage dooropening 12, a frame 13 surrounding the opening 12, a concrete floor l4,and a single panel garage door 15 pivotally mounted in the conventionalmanner so that the upper edge swings inwardly and the lower edge swingsoutwardly as the door is opened. The conventional mounting of the door15 is not disclosed herein as it forms no part of the present invention.1

A latch 16 is secured to the lower edge of the inner surface of thegarage door 15 and has a latch pin 17 mounted for vertical slidingmovement therein. A coil spring 18 in the latch 16 normally urges thelatch pin 17 downwardly to project the lower end of the latch pin 17into a keeper socket 19 embedded in the concrete floor 14.

A bracket 20 is provided with a base 21 which extends at right angles tothe bracket 20 and the base 21 is secured to the upper inner surface ofthe door 15. A stop 22 is integrally formed on the upper edge of thebracket 20 and extends perpendicularly thereto for reasons to beassigned. A bell-crank 23 is pivotally secured to the bracket 20 bymeans of a pivot pin 24 and has a lower arm 25 and an upper arm 26. Theupper arm 26 is pivotally secured at its upper end to the operator arm27 of a motor operated garage door opener indicated generally at 28. Theoperator 27 is adapted to move horizontally to pivot the door l5into araised position.

A flexible cable 29 extends from an eye 30 on the upper end of the latchpin 17 upwardly to the inner end of the lower arm 25 to which it is alsosecured.

In the use and operation of the locking device 10 illustrated in FIGS. Ithrough 4 the motor actuated garage door opener 28 is energized in anyconventional manner such as by radio and the operator 27 is caused tomove horizontally away from the garage door 15. The initial movement ofthe operator 27 will swing the bell-crank 23 about its pivot 24 untilthe lower arm 25 thereof comes in contact with the stop 22 raising thecable 29 and thus the latch pin 17 to release the latch pin 17 from thekeeper socket 19in the garage floor 14. Further movement of the operator27 then causes the garage door 15 to conventional pivot and open to itsfullest extent. On closing of the garage door the operator 27 is movedby a motor operated garage door opener 28 toward the garage door 15 sothat the garage door 15 is pivoted to a closed position whereupon thelatch pin 17 is engaged in the keeper latch 19 by the spring 18.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 7 a modified form of the invention isillustrated. A locking device for overhead garage doors is indicatedgenerally at 40. The locking device 40 is used with an overhead garagedoor construction indicated generally at 41. The garage doorconstruction 41 includes a door opening 42 surrounded by a door frame43. A track 44 extends upwardly on each side of the opening 42 andcurves to extend across the ceiling of the garage. A garage doorgenerally indicated at .45 includes a plurality of hinged togetherpanels 46 which are conventionally mounted for movement in the track-44from a vertical closed position as illustrated in FIG. 5 to a horizontalposition overlying the garage floor closely adjacent to the garageceiling. Alatch surface 16 is secured to the upper most panel 46 of thegarage door 45 adjacent one side edge thereof. The latch pin 17 isadapted to engage a sloping keeper plate 49 secured to the track 44, toprevent the door 45 from moving upwardly in the track 44. A bracket 20is mounted on the upper inner surface of the door 45 and carries abell-crank 23 pivotally secured thereto by the pivot pin 24. Thebell-crank 23 has arms 25,- 26 with the arm 26 secured to the operator27 of a conventional motor operated garage door opener 28. A flexiblecable C is trained over a pulley 50 mounted on the garage door 45 andhas its upper end secured to the free end of the arm 25 and its lowerend connected to the eye 30 of the latch pin 17.

In the use and operation of the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 5through 7 the motor operated garage door opener 28 is actuated by anyconventional means including radio and moves the operator 27 thereofhorizontally initially swinging the bell-crank 23 on its pivot 24 tothus retract the cable 49 and withdraw the latch pin 17 from the keeperplate 49 on the track 44. Further movement of the operator 27 engagesthe arm 25 against the stop 22 of the bracket and movement of the garage45 upwardly in the track 44 occurs in a conventional manner. Uponclosing operation of the motor operated garage door opener 28 the door45 is moved downwardly in the track 44 until the latch pin 17 is firstcammed inwardly by the sloping keeper plate 49 and then engages underthe keeper plate 49, under pressure of the spring 18.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. A locking device for one piece overhead garage doors of the typewhich move from a closed position to an open position by swinging abouta horizontal pivot and is actuated by a motor driven garage door openerwhich includes a horizontally movable operator comprising, a bracketsecured to the upper inner surface of swinging movement of its loweredge in an opening direction, means supported by said bracket extending.

from said operator to said latch for disengaging said latch upon initialhorizontal movement of said operator said last named means including abell-crank pivotally mounted on said bracket and having one arm thereofpivotally secured to said operator, a flexible cable extending from theother of said bell-crank arms tosaid latch, a stop integrally formed onsaid bracket for engagement with the other of said bell-crank arms forlimiting the pivotal movement of said bell-crank in a latch disengagingdirection, said latch being secured to the lower edge of said door andmounted for vertical reciprocation, and a keeper socket mounted in thegarage floor for cooperation with said latch.

1. A locking device for one piece overhead garage doors of the typewhich move from a closed position to an open position by swinging abouta horizontal pivot and is actuated by a motor driven garage door openerwhich includes a horizontally movable operator comprising, a bracketsecured to the upper inner surface of the garage door, a latch mechanismsecured to the lower edge of the inner surface of said garage door andadapted to lock said garage door against outward swinging movement ofits lower edge in an opening direction, means supported by said bracketextending from said operator to said latch for disengaging said latchupon initial horizontal movement of said operator said last named meansincluding a bell-crank pivotally mounted on said bracket and having onearm thereof pivotally secured to said operator, a flexible cableextending from the other of said bellcrank arms to said latch, a stopintegrally formed on said bracket for engagement with the other of saidbell-crank arms for limiting the pivotal movement of said bell-crank ina latch disengaging direction, said latch being secured to the loweredge of said door and mounted for vertical reciprocation, and a keepersocket mounted in the garage floor for cooperation with said latch.